1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to clamping sets and more particularly, to a clamping set for transmitting torque and/or axial forces.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
German Offenlegungsschrift 3,444,608 discloses a clamping set similar to that of the present invention. According to this reference, a thread is made on the thin-walled end of an inner taper ring, and a screw ring, which has a radially outwardly projecting peripheral collar, grips behind a radially inwardly projecting peripheral collar of the outer taper ring. The outer taper ring is slightly extended radially and elastically in order to facilitate engagement. When the clamping set is fastened, the outer taper ring, with its end face bearing against the screw ring, is pressed up onto the inner taper ring toward the thick-walled end thereof. During disengagement, an undercut portion is used, which is located at the peripheral collars of the screw ring and the outer taper ring.
A peripheral collar which is brought into engagement on this undercut while one of the taper rings extends elastically can only have a small height. Accordingly, the tensile force which can be applied through such a peripheral collar is limited. The generall small step tends to deform under high surface pressures. Further, at self-locking taper angles, which are usually necessary to produce high clamping forces, the release forces are virtually as large as the clamping forces. Therefore, the clamping set disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift 3,444,608 is suitable only for limited torque applications.
Moreover, a disadvantage of this conventional clamping set is that the screw ring is essentially located in front of the front end of the outer taper ring, i.e. axially outside the taper rings, and thus increases the overall axial length of the clamping set.
European preliminary published specification 007,217 discloses a congeneric clamping set in which the arrangement of the thread relative to that of the taper surfaces is the same, but the screw ring has a cylindrical extension which reaches across the end of the outer taper ring and, with an inwardly projecting collar, engages into an outer peripheral groove in the outer taper ring. Here, too, engagement is produced under elastic deformation of at least one part of the combination, and the engagement height at the undercut is accordingly limited. The clamping set is fastened when the front end of the extension bears against a flank of the groove in the outer taper ring. As a result, when the axial pressure forces for fastening are applied, there is a risk of buckling and other deformations because the extension tends to deform when producing engagement and because of the resulting thinness of the wall of the extension.